Laughing was done. Cursing was done. After a brief emotional release, it was time to take action.
A person couldn't just keep being frustrated and wasting energy on meaningless emotions.
Waiting for death had never been Zhao Xing's style.
He took a deep breath and turned to look at Qing Yuzi, who was still clutching the ancient sword.
"Old Qing, can you say something?"
"This high-stakes match is being played by me alone, and it's killing me."
"Stop pretending to be dead, alright? You must be a big shot. Otherwise, why would the Dongyan Ancient Clan misjudge?"
"There are countless people in this world who use the title 'Qing Yuzi.' I impersonated you when signing the causality contract with the Dongyan Ancient Clan, but how could that possibly affect you?"
"We're in the same boat now. You can't just keep handing out Holy Grails without giving me a hint about what other cards you have left to play."
Qing Yuzi's corpse had come looking for this ancient sword to break its seal. If this was the doing of the Dongyan Ancient Clan, then Qing Yuzi wouldn't have come here himself—the clan would have handled it.
After all, it was Zhao Xing who formed the causality contract with the Dongyan Clan's elder council and delivered the Qing Yu Token through Sparks Unit.
Could a simple act of impersonation truly mislead them? That was impossible!
If that were the case, then the historians and officials of the Dongyan Ancient Clan might as well just eat dirt for a living.
So, Zhao Xing deduced that something must have interfered with the Dongyan Ancient Clan's plan.
Right now, the only special things on him were the Xuanling Chronicles: Time Page, Qing Yuzi's corpse, and the sacred relic.
That alone was enough reason for him to suspect Qing Yuzi.
Yet, Qing Yuzi remained motionless, his eyes closed.
"Fine. If you won't talk, then I will."
"Let's first calculate the revival cost for the Dongyan Ancient Clan."
What Zhao Xing needed right now was external intervention. But how powerful did this external force need to be? He couldn't just fantasize or guess blindly.
Instead, he could start by calculating the cost of resurrection for the Dongyan Ancient Clan, and from there, determine what kind of power he needed to break free.
He began organizing his thoughts.
He could estimate it roughly.
After all, he had experienced the Scholar Gods' descent version, where he cashed out and ran during the first phase of the Divine Selection.
Moreover, he had interacted with the other four players.
Three of them had successfully cashed out and left during the second phase.
The last one, though exceptionally strong, was greedy. He attempted to ascend to godhood in one go—only to be completely wiped out in the end.
Both god-making and resurrection had their costs, which could serve as references.
"First, let's consider the regional cost, meaning the cost of spiritual energy essence."
"The resurrection of a god cannot happen without spiritual energy essence. Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom alone doesn't have nearly enough."
"They would need one to three additional divine artifacts containing spiritual energy essence to supplement it."
"And then there's the sacrificial cost—the 'spirit' of living beings. You can't just offer up low-quality sacrifices; they need to have value."
"The best offerings are those in the Reincarnation Realm, because they are the closest to godhood."
In the Scholar Gods' descent version, the cost of god-making required five thousand Reincarnation Realm cultivators.
But that was a Scholar Organization's method of creating a god. What was happening now was a resurrection ritual, which required even more sacrifices.
Ignoring the quality of offerings for now and considering only the worst-case scenario, the estimated minimum would be thirty thousand Reincarnation Realm cultivators.
When the Scholars created a god, they used a collective enlightenment process, making it more efficient and less wasteful.
Since resurrection was inherently less efficient, multiplying the cost by six times seemed reasonable.
"Thirty thousand Reincarnation Realm cultivators—give or take a few errors. Old Qing, do you agree?"
Qing Yuzi remained silent.
Zhao Xing nodded. "I'll take that as a yes."
"How could the small Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom possibly gather so many Reincarnation Realm cultivators? Even if the Dongyan Ancient Clan were willing to sacrifice themselves, they probably wouldn't have that many."
"The only way to gather such a large number of high-level cultivators would be through the Spirit Domain Assembly."
If the Spirit Domain Assembly was held in Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, there wouldn't even be a need to gather people—they would naturally come to Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom.
"The Ancient Kingdom Alliance of the Barren Domain has over one hundred thousand ancient kingdoms. Since the Spirit Domain Assembly is related to the survival of the Xuanling Star Domain, gathering thirty thousand Reincarnation Realm cultivators is completely feasible."
The Spirit Domain Assembly was a high-level meeting concerning the Xuanling Star Domain's survival. Low-ranking cultivators were useless in these discussions. Only ancient kingdom rulers and Reincarnation Realm experts had the qualifications to attend.
"So, the Dongyan Ancient Clan plans to massacre the Reincarnation Realm cultivators participating in the Spirit Domain Assembly? What an absolutely insane move..."
"The assembly is only a few hundred years away. That means Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom must already be laced with hidden traps."
"And in order to kill so many Reincarnation Realm cultivators in one go, they would need at least one immensely powerful divine artifact, or multiple slightly weaker divine artifacts."
"The Xuanling Chronicles is a divine artifact, but the one I have belongs to the [Chronicles: Ten Records]. Its time-tracing ability is powerful for support, but it has no combat capability."
"The Dongyan Ancient Clan must have either [Chronicles: Biographies], or worse—an entire page of [Chronicles: Annals]. That would allow them to summon an Ancient God's phantom to obliterate all Reincarnation Realm cultivators."
"If the Dongyan Ancient Clan had only one such page, their plan wouldn't work."
"After the massacre, the sacrificial process begins. That requires another divine artifact—a Wheel of Reincarnation Altar wouldn't be enough. It has to be a complete 'New God Altar' or a damaged 'Ancient God Altar'."
Gods were divided into two types—New Gods and Ancient Gods.
New Gods were those who ascended after birth, while Ancient Gods were primordial deities born with the world.
The Five Emperor Coins of the Xuanling Star Domain—the so-called Five Emperors were all New Gods, gods who ascended through cultivation. They followed a complete path to godhood, whereas Ancient Gods were deities that had been naturally born from the world itself.
"The God Altar, the God's Relic, the God's Tribute—which includes the spiritual energy and living beings within the entirety of Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom."
"In addition, they would need a divine artifact belonging to a Fate Master, something that can lock down fate itself. Oh, a priest's divine artifact would work too. I remember there's one called Sacrificial Spirit Tablet, which serves this exact function."
"History, Fate, and Sacrifice combined... that's at least nine divine artifacts needed."
The three divine artifacts of a historian: World Repair Brush, Preaching Book, and Grand Historian Crown.
The three divine artifacts of a priest: Ancient God Altar (which could be substituted with a New God Altar), the God's Relic (such as the remains of the True Body of Void Ancestor), and the Tribute (which includes thirty-five thousand Reincarnation Realm cultivators and the spiritual energy & life essence of Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom).
The divine artifacts of a Fate Master were numerous. Zhao Xing couldn't pinpoint exactly which ones would be involved, but he estimated they would need at least three since the Fate Master's arts were split into three major branches: predicting the future, determining karma, and sealing fate itself.
"And to top it off, they would need at least one divine artifact containing spiritual energy essence. That makes it a total of ten, possibly even more."
"Let's set aside the question of whether this plan could actually succeed. This should roughly be the material cost of the Dongyan Ancient Clan's resurrection ritual."
"What about the human cost?" Zhao Xing frowned. "If there's actually a Godhood Realm being involved in this, then I might as well stop thinking and just kill myself to see if I can be reborn and start over."
"But... that's highly unlikely."
Why was he so certain? Because in his past life, even when he reached the threshold of breaking into the Godhood Realm, he had never once seen an actual god within the Xuanling Star Domain.
Did Xuanling Star Domain have Godhood Realm cultivators? Definitely. Among the superpower factions, the Ancient Kingdom Alliance of the Barren Domain was the only one without a god.
But Primordial Hill, Origin Heaven Palace, Red Star Empire, and Reincarnation Divine Palace all had Godhood Realm existences.
Zhao Xing had never seen them, but since everyone believed they existed, they probably did.
The problem was—Godhood Realm experts had already transcended mortal affairs. They were unreachable.
It was like how low-ranking officials in Great Zhou would never get the chance to see the legendary Grand Shennong, even though his name echoed throughout the empire.
"Based on what I know about this world, I can first set an upper limit—this operation does not involve another Godhood Realm expert." Zhao Xing tapped his fingers together.
"If the Dongyan Ancient Clan already had a Godhood Realm expert, they wouldn't be trying to resurrect one. Instead, they'd be building a superpower faction that could negotiate directly with Reincarnation Divine Palace. This is also why, if the resurrection succeeds, the Dongyan Ancient Clan wouldn't have to fear retaliation—even if they sacrificed thirty-five thousand Reincarnation Realm cultivators."
Once a Godhood Realm cultivator was revived, the Dongyan Ancient Clan could negotiate from a position of power. After all, killing a god was just as difficult as reviving one.
As long as the resurrected Godhood Realm cultivator was willing to pay a price, the superpowers wouldn't waste time trying to hunt them down—they'd just erase all historical records of the event and pretend it never happened.
That's how winners rewrote history. Who would care about the ghosts of Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom?
After sorting through his thoughts, Zhao Xing returned to calculating the human cost. "The Dongyan Ancient Clan needs at least ten people to wield divine artifacts. These ten people must be highly experienced Reincarnation Realm cultivators."
"They might not need to have reincarnated a hundred times, but at the very least, they must have experienced ten reincarnations each."
"To be safe, let's double that number. Since they probably have other tasks to handle, the total manpower required should be around twenty to thirty seasoned Reincarnation Realm cultivators."
After working through the calculations, Zhao Xing felt a chill run down his spine.
Ten divine artifacts. Twenty to thirty seasoned Reincarnation Realm cultivators.
Could he really escape from a trap like this?
At that moment, Qing Yuzi, who had been completely still all this time, suddenly trembled violently.
The Reincarnation Sword in his hand buzzed loudly, and the Xuanling Chronicles: Time Page also began shimmering with light in sync with his movements.
With the Reincarnation Sword in hand, Qing Yuzi seemed ready to step beyond the boundaries of the Time Page.
Seeing this, Zhao Xing frowned.
Had Old Qing gotten scared too?
Where was he trying to go?
"You..."
Zhao Xing was just about to say something when he suddenly noticed Qing Yuzi gripping the ancient sword, stepping forward—yet at the same time, his head turned backward.
At that moment, his eyes opened.
A moment ago, his gaze had been filled with murky death energy, but now, a flash of clarity shone within them.
And within his pupils—something flickered past for an instant.
Zhao Xing caught it.
It was a sentence.
Written in Great Zhou's script, the words read:
"Find another sacrificial sacred relic. Take me to the altar."
Zhao Xing shook his head, then looked again—Qing Yuzi's eyes were shut once more, as if nothing had happened.
He stared at Qing Yuzi's corpse, feeling uncertain.
Originally, he thought he was just dragging a useless dead teammate along. Not only was he not helpful, but he was also a burden.
But now, this dead teammate had suddenly shown signs of life?
"I spent all that time calculating... and now you finally think I'm worth talking to?" Zhao Xing muttered.
He wasn't crazy enough to waste time talking to a dead person—let alone spending so much effort calculating resurrection costs.
The real reason he did it was simple—he wanted to test Qing Yuzi and figure out what was really going on with him.
Now, he finally got a response.
Did this mean Qing Yuzi had finally recognized him as an ally, rather than just a disposable pawn?
"You've got some serious guts, old man. You actually dared to sit at this table and use the Dongyan Ancient Clan's plan to boost your own power…"
That's right.
This wasn't about resurrection.
It was about growing stronger!
The more Zhao Xing thought about it, the more he felt it made perfect sense.
If Qing Yuzi had truly awakened his Reincarnation Realm memories, he wouldn't have set this up to resurrect himself.
No—he was trying to exploit the Dongyan Ancient Clan, draining them dry so that he could become even stronger in his next reincarnation!
"And here I thought you were just some unlucky guy... but you're actually fearless. This whole time, I've completely underestimated you…"
At this point, Zhao Xing was certain—Qing Yuzi had tampered with many things behind the scenes.
And the more he thought about it, the more he admired the audacity of it all.
Not many Reincarnation Realm cultivators would dare pull something like this.
Qing Yuzi was treating the Dongyan Ancient Clan like crops ready for harvest—he wanted to reap them for his own gain!
"You're something else!" Zhao Xing gave a thumbs-up.
"Since you've handed me nine sacred artifacts, I'll play along with you." Zhao Xing looked at Qing Yuzi, feeling a surge of excitement. "Isn't this just a round of Qing Yuzi's grand gamble?"
"You dared to bet your Reincarnation True Spirit, leaving the choice in my hands. So why should I hesitate?"
"Right now, you're the one drawing their attention, and the Dongyan Ancient Clan is confused about your identity. That means my risk is lower. Since we're in this together, let's make a move!"
"If you win, you take a step forward in power."
"If I win, I just want my life back. You can repay me with ten or eight favors in the future."
The universe had never lacked daring cultivators!
If they succeeded, they would become legends, stepping onto greater heights. If they failed, then fate had simply run its course.
Qing Yuzi had already taken a huge risk, revealing hints to him. Zhao Xing had no reason to back down.
A fellow cultivator entrusts his life to me—I will not shy away from life and death!
"At least now, I don't have a dead teammate, just a half-dead one." After shaking off his fear, Zhao Xing took a brief rest before beginning to plan in his mind.
"First, I need to clarify something—Qing Yuzi and I have the same goal, but different motives."
"He wants to steal Reincarnation True Spirits, maybe even devour divine artifacts to advance further. Meanwhile, I'm just an Origin Realm cultivator who wants to survive."
"For me, breaking even is a win."
"Now, I need to use the Time Page and Reincarnation Ancient Sword to find another sacred relic and send Qing Yuzi into the Dongyan Ancient Clan's altar... This is likely part of their own plan, and it's also why Qing Yuzi traveled so far—he needs to bring the existing sacred relic together with the original one, or even merge them."
A god's offering—naturally, the more, the better.
Hadn't the Dongyan Ancient Clan been after this ancient sword all along?
Then I'll give it back to them!
I'll even throw in Qing Yuzi as a bonus gift!
"Until the sacred relics have fused, Qing Yuzi and I should both be safe."
"Once we reach the altar, whether Qing Yuzi revives as a Reincarnation Realm expert or not doesn't really matter to me."
"If he does, great—I'll earn a huge favor from a Reincarnation Realm powerhouse."
"If he doesn't, I never counted on him to save me anyway."
"At that point, my only concern is staying alive."
"Now that I've calculated the cost, it's time to find external support." Zhao Xing pondered.
"I'm not trying to be a savior or protect Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom. I'm not even trying to destroy the Dongyan Ancient Clan's plans. I just want to survive, so I don't need some massive backup."
What kind of person could pull him out of this mess?
A Godhood Realm cultivator? Of course, but he couldn't find one, let alone convince one to help.
A Reincarnation Realm powerhouse? That was possible—he knew some and could potentially ask for their help.
"I can only borrow from the future." Zhao Xing thought to himself. "I can reach out to Reincarnation Realm experts I knew from my previous life, from places like Red Star Empire and Primordial Hill."
Names flashed through his mind—well-known Reincarnation Realm powerhouses, individuals he had interacted with in his past life.
"But these experts aren't easy to manipulate like Yun Tiandao. I don't have enough leverage to get them involved."
It wasn't like back then when Yun Tiandao had Emperor Xia's wife and Dao Companion trapped by Cangyue Demon Kingdom—that was leverage. He had a bargaining chip back then.
Right now, he didn't even know these people yet, and the gap in strength was too massive. If he recklessly approached a Reincarnation Realm powerhouse, he might end up dead on the spot!
Back then, Yun Tiandao was Dao-Establishment Realm, Ji Che was Dao-Establishment Realm, and Zhao Xing was in the Rule Stage. Even if he failed to manipulate them, his life wouldn't be in danger.
But now? The power gap was way too big.
If a Reincarnation Realm powerhouse got curious, why wouldn't they just capture him and interrogate him? Why would they bother listening to his words?
This was why Zhao Xing compared this situation to the Thousand Illusions Tree—he feared that even if he escaped one fire pit, he'd just jump into another.
Zhao Xing waved his hand, writing out various occupations:
"Star Historian, Fate Master, Priest, Physician, Qi Sect, Sword Sect, Heavenly Timing Shennong, Self Shennong, Earthly Shennong, Mechanist, Dao Soldier Flow, Forging Flow, Scholar…"
Each occupation represented a Reincarnation Realm expert—one Zhao Xing had once known and had high favorability with.
Looking at the list, another idea came to mind—reporting the situation.
But he quickly dismissed it.
Reporting this to Reincarnation Divine Palace or Origin Heaven Palace? Absolutely useless.
If it was just a group of Dao Domain Realm cultivators trying to revive a Reincarnation Realm powerhouse, then Zhao Xing might still have hope in reporting it.
But if it was a group of Reincarnation Realm cultivators trying to revive a Godhood Realm being, then it was already too late.
The moment he made a move, the Dongyan Ancient Clan's Elder Council would find out.
Not to mention, a single Reincarnation Realm historian could simply write one line:
"Zhao Xing dies suddenly."
Before he could even contact anyone, he would be erased from existence.
A "senior reincarnator"—the false identity the Dongyan Ancient Clan had imagined for him—was his only protection.
If he lost that intimidation factor, they could crush him like an insect.
And even if he did manage to reach someone for help—
Didn't Reincarnation Divine Palace lose the Divine Fortune Tablet before? How did that happen?
Internal corruption.
That's why they had started an investigation into internal affairs.
Would his report actually fix anything? Or would he get silenced before anyone could even help?
Red Star Empire had no connections to the Dongyan Ancient Clan, but they were far away and might not intervene.
Primordial Hill and Origin Heaven Palace were in the same boat. They weren't dedicated to maintaining balance in the universe.
"So the timing for calling reinforcements has to be perfect—not too early, or I'll get sacrificed. Not too late, or I'll be dead before they even arrive."
"I have to get the timing exactly right."
Zhao Xing took a deep breath and grabbed the Time Page in his hands.
Against Reincarnation Realm experts, he couldn't just rely on promises—he needed leverage.
The Reincarnation Dao Soldiers would have been a great bargaining chip, but he didn't have any.
"A Fate Master is out of the question. They can see the future—if I call for help anonymously, they'll get suspicious."
"A Priest is also a bad idea. After this incident, Priests will be heavily suppressed. If I reach out to one, I'll just get dragged into their downfall."
Zhao Xing narrowed his eyes.
If he wanted to stay alive, he needed a plan—and soon.
A forging mechanist? Eliminated. Their combat abilities were too low.
Dao Soldier Flow? Formation Masters? Those were worth considering—they had teleportation techniques and could make a quick escape. Included.
Qi Sect? Definitely need one. A top-tier workhorse was essential.
Shennong? The Self School was out—those people had peculiar personalities. The Heavenly Timing School was too aloof. The Earthly Advantage School was the most reliable…
Zhao Xing began crossing out occupations one by one.
The mighty Xuanling Chronicles: Time Page, being used for fishing—could it really catch just one person?
At the very least, he needed to assemble a Reincarnation Realm squad!
"The plan is starting to take shape." Zhao Xing rubbed his temples. "The Dongyan Ancient Clan wants to use the Spirit Domain Gathering to feed their god? Then I'll make sure they get more than they bargained for!"
———
In the year 1483 of the Beginning Renewal Era, after returning to Tiger Head Star Continent, Zhao Xing stayed inside the Marquis of Wuling's mansion, refusing to step outside.
Inside the grand estate, only Ji Si and an Automaton Cat accompanied him.
"Grand Shennong, are we returning to Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom?" Ji Si asked.
"Yes." Zhao Xing nodded. "The Spirit Domain Gathering is about to begin, and countless powerhouses will be gathering. We should go join the fun—who knows, maybe we'll find a great master just like Yun Tiandao did."
Although Zhao Xing's plans clashed with the Great Zhou Empire's objectives, Ji Si never questioned his reasoning.
Instead, he simply continued, "There may be many powerhouses, but we might not get the chance to meet them."
Though Zhao Xing held the title of Marquis of Wuling, he had only recently been ennobled.
Aside from Du Yun, Cen Qionghua, and Fairy Leyao, most Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom nobles had never even heard of him.
As for Ji Si, he wasn't even noble—just a citizen.
"I don't have the qualifications, but someone else does." Zhao Xing smirked. "Have you heard of Marquis Yuetan?"
"Yes." Ji Si nodded. "Although he's just a marquis, his family has deep foundations. I heard that their family is one of the founding shareholders of Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom."
Lu Ting, the current Marquis Yuetan, was a Dao Domain Realm cultivator. Rumor had it that his family's ancestor was still alive—a Reincarnation Realm powerhouse.
Back when the Yuanhai King founded the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, he had recruited many comrades to help conquer territory, and Marquis Yuetan's ancestor was one of them.
Nowadays, the Lu Clan only had one marquis, but they secretly controlled many industries within the kingdom.
"I know his daughter. I used to be one of her guest officials," Zhao Xing explained. "Attending the gathering should be easy with her connections."
Why not rely on Du Yun instead? Because Du Yun was too conspicuous.
His Origin Heaven Palace identity wasn't just famous within Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom—it was well-known elsewhere too.
Zhao Xing also didn't want to get involved with Purple Moon Mansion again, lest he attract the attention of Reincarnation Divine Palace's enforcers.
"I owe her a favor from before. This time, I'll bring a gift as thanks. Go prepare it for me."
"So that's the reason. Understood, I'll take care of it." Ji Si nodded.
He had no idea how massive a 'gift' Zhao Xing was actually planning to bring.
Once Ji Si left to prepare, Zhao Xing continued studying the map of Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom alone.
Ji Si carried 50 billion Red Star Coins—a sum left behind by Yun Tiandao for Zhao Xing. Since Ji Si was handling errands, Zhao Xing didn't need to do menial work himself.
"Yun Tiandao has now joined Lord Ruohai's sect. That guy's doing well—he's with the military, much stronger than me, a mere tomb-raiding marquis."
"If I need reinforcements, I can reach out to him too."
Could Yun Tiandao actually help? Zhao Xing wasn't sure, but as long as he kept him nearby, there was a chance.
"If I survive, so do the people around me."
"Lord Ruohai is set to leave seclusion during the gathering and will officially accept Yun Tiandao as a disciple. If I bring Yun Tiandao close, then Lord Ruohai's attention will also be drawn to me—that means another Reincarnation Realm battle force on my side."
Would Lord Ruohai intervene? Who cared!
When faced with death, every living being seeks survival!
Reincarnation Realm powerhouses were like ambulances—if he had enough ambulances nearby, he could jump into any one of them and escape.
Would this anger these powerhouses? Definitely. But by then, it would be too late.
Would anyone care who called the ambulance? No—everyone would be too busy running for their lives!
"Can I use King Tianji?" Zhao Xing mused.
King Tianji had great influence, and Zhao Xing had even worked under him. Could he find a way to leverage this connection?
"Forget it." Zhao Xing shook his head. "I only know Lei Yunde, one of his subordinates. To King Tianji, I'm a nobody. There's no time to build a connection now."
Unless a golden opportunity arose, Zhao Xing didn't want to risk it.
He was already walking a tightrope—one wrong step and he was dead.
"Ji Si, I have some tasks for you. After buying the gifts, prepare a few Time-Sealed Letters for me…" Zhao Xing sent a voice transmission.
"Understood," Ji Si replied.
After arranging for Ji Si's errands, Zhao Xing took out a portrait and set it on fire.
"Fwoosh—"
The painting depicted a man wearing an ancient robe adorned with insect-beast totems. His headpiece was crowned with jade, his expression domineering, exuding the aura of a ruler.
"You need something?" A voice emerged from the flames, as if the portrait had come to life.
"Bai Yang, I need to borrow Sparks's information network to send some things." Zhao Xing stated his intent.
"Where to?"
"Domestic. How much will it cost?"
Bai Yang hesitated for a moment before realizing that 'domestic' referred to Red Star Empire.
"It depends on what you're sending, who's receiving it, and how it's delivered," Bai Yang responded. "If it's just some local specialties for Great Zhou officials, forget about the money—I'll have Chen Xuan bring it over. He's heading back soon anyway."
"Deal." Zhao Xing nodded.
Reaching out to Sparks wasn't just about sending messages.
He was strengthening his connections—making sure they were also part of his 'ambulance fleet'.
If he survived, he still had plans in Red Star Empire.
And the only ones capable of stepping in at the last moment were the superpower factions.
"You're transferring money to me? Didn't we agree it was free?" Bai Yang was puzzled as he noticed an extra 30 million Red Star Coins in his account.
"It's my private matter, after all." Zhao Xing chuckled. "Donating some funding is only fair."
"You…" Bai Yang laughed but ultimately accepted it.
There were still hundreds of years ahead. Zhao Xing was solidifying his connection with Sparks, especially since Jing Yan was gone.
This Sparks connection couldn't just rely on past favors—he needed to keep his presence known as their "contact" from time to time.
Moreover, this also ensured Sparks's own survival. When something big happened, the higher-ups in Sparks would investigate, and if Zhao Xing already had high goodwill with them, he could skip unnecessary formalities and get straight to the point.
———
"Brother Du, I've come to say goodbye." Zhao Xing visited Du Yun at Yellow Sand Mansion.
Just like with Sparks, he needed to maintain goodwill with Du Yun—and even find a way to link himself to Origin Heaven Palace.
"You're heading to Red Star Empire?" Du Yun asked.
"No." Zhao Xing shook his head. "I'm returning to Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom to attend the Spirit Domain Gathering."
"Oh," Du Yun nodded.
"Aside from that, there's something else I need your help with."
"Go ahead."
"Last time, you introduced me to Zhan Ze, an artificer from Origin Heaven Palace. Do you know if he takes commissions from outsiders?"
"What do you need refined?" Du Yun asked.
"Materials for Juyang Clone, along with a few other custom requests," Zhao Xing explained. "If your senior brother is willing to send a clone, I can offer 50 billion Red Star Coins for 500 years."
"If he's not interested, just pretend I never brought it up."
"50 billion? Hahaha! You're overestimating the current market." Du Yun burst into laughter. "If my senior brother went in person, that price might make sense."
"But if he's just sending a forging clone, making 50 billion Red Star Coins in 500 years is an insane deal!"
Members of Origin Heaven Palace needed to earn resources too.
Zhan Ze was at the Yin-Yang Dao Domain Realm, so at most, his clone could reach Five Elements Dao Domain Realm.
A Five Elements Dao Domain clone earning 50 billion Red Star Coins in 500 years? That was a huge contract!
"Honestly, you don't need to offer that much—20 or 30 billion should be plenty," Du Yun said.
He even helped bargain, since he couldn't treat Zhao Xing like a fool.
A single Yin-Yang level talisman cost at most 10 billion—renting a Five Elements clone for 500 years didn't need 50 billion at all!
"Many thanks, Brother Du." Zhao Xing cupped his hands in gratitude.
Another ambulance secured!
He couldn't have Du Yun personally follow him around, but he could ensure Origin Heaven Palace had a clear link to him.
In this kind of high-level game, a clone or a true body made no difference.
Once Zhan Ze's clone was there, he'd have no choice but to call for backup when things went south.
And if he called for reinforcements, he wouldn't just save himself—he'd also save Du Yun.
Would Zhan Ze hold a grudge? He wouldn't even know what happened.
By the time history was erased, who would even remember this?
Even if he found out, it wouldn't be his turn to complain.
So many Reincarnation Realm powerhouses would be caught in Zhao Xing's web, a mere Zhan Ze wouldn't even be worth mentioning!
———
"Then I'll take my leave."
Zhao Xing cupped his hands in farewell.
By the year 1486 of the Beginning Renewal Era, Zhao Xing still hadn't returned to Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom.
Then, something unexpected happened.
Qing Yuzi's junior disciple, Zhao Yuanzi, suddenly sent word—someone was looking for Zhao Xing in Qing Yu Realm Star.
After asking for details, it turned out to be Nalan De and Nalan Hao, the uncle and nephew from Starhail Pass of the Great Ye Dynasty, carrying the token Zhao Xing had given them years ago.
"Interesting." Zhao Xing smirked at the message.
"A thousand-year-old cause and effect has finally caught up to me."
It seemed insignificant—just a promise made long ago.
But all these small events built up, forming major karmic entanglements!
"The hidden forces preventing me from leaving Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom… I wonder what else they have planned."
Zhao Xing didn't even bother meeting them.
He simply gave them some money and sent them on their way—clearing the karma.
———
Then, in 1488, another incident unfolded.
Fairy Leyao and Cen Qionghua had offended a Grand Divine Ability Realm cultivator.
The news reached Zhao Xing through Yu Tianqing's mouth.
"Zhao Xing, Fairy Leyao and Hua Zi have been captured."
"When did this happen?"
"They've been locked up for ten years—we only just found out."
"I see." Zhao Xing nodded. "Don't worry about it."
"Alright."
After ending the transmission, Zhao Xing's gaze turned cold.
Yet another issue demanding his attention—these incidents were happening too frequently!
"If I didn't have Thousand Illusion Tree, didn't know Du Yun or Lu Yuehan, didn't have much money—just dealing with one of these problems would drain my energy, forcing me back to Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom."
"But now?"
"Now I can just throw money at it and move on. I still can't set foot in Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom."
Zhao Xing remained ruthless, refusing to let anything derail his plans.
Even if Yun Tiandao himself sent an emergency life-or-death distress call, Zhao Xing wouldn't go to save him.
Because he wasn't a chess piece—he was the chess player.
He had to move on his own terms.
If he survived, he could fix everything.
If he died, everything would be meaningless—he'd save no one.
"Kill, kill, kill! No one will shake my will!"
In the underground chamber, Zhao Xing's eyes glowed with countless blood-red blades.
Above him, the Time Page hovered, and beside him, Qing Yuzi stood gripping his Ancient Sword.
Qing Yuzi's aura darkened, his ghostly presence intensifying.
Zhao Xing suddenly turned his head, his voice low and sharp:
"Old Qing, stop rushing me! I know what I'm doing!"
Qing Yuzi: "..."
"The desire that arises without leakage of the Dharma is called the desire for virtuous Dharma."
"There are both virtuous Dharma desires and evil Dharma desires within the mind."
"The greed for worldly affairs is a cause of reincarnation, a reason for downfall. The true spirit of reincarnation will weaken because of it."
"The second type is the righteous path I propagate, a virtuous Dharma desire, which can help avoid the calamities of reincarnation."
Inside the Xing Shen Star System of Red Star Empire, deep within a Solar Star, a massive figure stood, radiating golden light, his body completely bare.
His name was Meng Wu, a Reincarnation Realm powerhouse and the Warden of the Empire's Heavy Prison.
In his right hand, he held a simple black ring etched with star patterns—the legendary "Er Liang Slope", said to be capable of imprisoning even Reincarnation Realm cultivators!
At this moment, Meng Wu's consciousness had entered the ring. Within an elegant chamber, he was listening to a bald man speak.
The bald man was named Wu Tian, merely at the Dao Domain Realm, yet this Reincarnation Realm powerhouse, Meng Wu, was attentively listening—a rather unusual sight.
"Wu Tian, I find your ability to deceive people to be quite ordinary." Meng Wu chuckled. "I don't think your words are right, nor do I have any intention of releasing you."
Wu Tian was refined in appearance, his expression calm. He smiled slightly. "Meng Brother, do you remember how you reacted when we first met? Dismissive, full of disdain."
"But now, here you are, sitting down and discussing matters with me for hundreds of years."
"It's only because I'm bored." Meng Wu responded indifferently.
"Once it happens, it will happen again." Wu Tian smiled knowingly.
Meng Wu didn't bother refuting, instead shifting the topic. "Can you still suppress the demon inside you? If you can't, you'd better let me know in advance—I don't want you dying in my hands."
"It's a minor issue."
"I have a guest arriving, let's pause our discussion here." Meng Wu stood up, his consciousness returning to his body as the giant figure within the Solar Star slowly opened his eyes.
Outside the star, a Dao Domain Realm cultivator appeared—it was Meng Wu's great-grandson, Meng Ye.
"Great Grandfather, I encountered something strange recently." Meng Ye said. "Someone threw a letter into my residence, saying they had a message for you."
Meng Wu listened silently.
"I investigated but couldn't find out who sent it. It seems to have been delivered by someone from Shadow Sanctuary."
"What did the letter say?" Meng Wu asked casually.
"I couldn't understand it," Meng Ye shook his head, "but I feared it might be something important for you, so I came to deliver it."
"Hand it over."
"Yes."
Meng Wu took the letter, his expression changing slightly as he read.
The letter contained a series of symbols and encoded text, which ignited the moment it was opened.
"Hm? Sparks Script?"
"Wasn't the Fire Seed Minor World destroyed twenty epochs ago?"
In one of his past lives, Meng Wu had been reborn in the Fire Seed Minor World, where he underwent another transformation in his golden body.
"I was the only one who knew about that place—how is it connected to Shadow Sanctuary?"
Memories surfaced in Meng Wu's mind, mingled with doubt.
Nonetheless, he instinctively traced his fingers over the symbols, shifting them into place.
Moments later, the patterns aligned, and a flame projection appeared in his eyes.
Within the burning flames, an ancient sword emerged, its intricate carvings forming the image of a golden ancestral spirit.
"Hm? Could this be…" Meng Wu frowned.
Before he could take a closer look, the sword vanished, and the flames formed a single line of text:
"Old friend, if you want the relic of the Ancestral Spirit, come to Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom to see me—Emperor Tianning."
"Old friend? Emperor Tianning?"
Meng Wu was momentarily stunned.
"Do I have a friend who reincarnated in Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom? Why don't I remember?"
He fell into deep contemplation.
———
Primordial Hill, Hongshan Continent.
Though Hongshan Continent had a radius of only five kilometers, its geological energy was incomparably strong.
As a result, for thirty entire star sectors, nothing existed nearby—everything was drawn into the land, even light itself was devoured.
Atop the smooth, barren terrain, an elderly man with white hair, clad in earth-toned robes, sat in deep meditation.
"Emperor Hongshan! Emperor Hongshan!"
The ground suddenly cracked, revealing a floating square block with a horizontal and vertical line of text.
The characters struggled to remain stable, but Emperor Hongshan lightly tapped his finger, stabilizing the earthen block, making the text clear.
After reading, his brow furrowed.
"Who is using this method to summon me? I never gave my seventeenth private geocommunication imprint to anyone."
"Geocommunication Art" was a technique used by Earthly Shennongs to send messages through ley lines.
It wasn't an uncommon spell—countless realm stars and landmasses filled the cosmos, and by adjusting seven ley lines, one could send messages across vast distances.
However, the frequencies of ley line waves were infinite, and Emperor Hongshan's private geocommunication imprint was known only to sixteen individuals.
With his control over the ley lines, Emperor Hongshan could access information across half of the Xuanling Star Domain and countless ancient nations.
If someone leaked his private imprint, his mind would be flooded with endless transmissions daily!
He usually kept most communication channels closed, leaving only a few private ones open.
Yet today, he received a message from an unknown sender, and it used one of his private communication methods.
"Who leaked it? That shouldn't be possible… Those old friends of mine wouldn't play such a joke on me."
"This message was sent thirty-nine years ago… Its origin was Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom?"
"Hm… probably from one of its bordering territories."
Emperor Hongshan pondered for a moment before contacting the fourteen individuals who knew his private imprint.
Two others were currently in the cycle of reincarnation.
Eventually, all fourteen individuals denied sending the message.
"Could this Emperor Tianning be one of my reincarnated friends?"
"No… but why use the alias Emperor Tianning?"
"Could it be to avoid detection from an enemy?"
After much deliberation, Emperor Hongshan still couldn't figure it out.
"Forget it. The Spirit Domain Gathering is taking place in Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, and I've been in seclusion for too long."
"I might as well go take a look and see who this Emperor Tianning really is."